Mother’s Sayings 26-51

Mother Gabriel

The Sayings (26-50)

From: Mother Gabriel, The Ascetic of Love, by Sister Gabriel, publisher
http://www.toperivoli.gr

26. A Christian must have reverence for the Mystery of Existence in everyone and everything.

27. To reach the state of non-existence, love and love and love until you identify yourself completely with the Other One, whoever this may be at the time. Then, at the end of the day you may ask yourself: Is there anything I want? No. Is there anything I wish ‘No. Is there anything I lack’ No… So, that’s it!

28. The spiritually advanced person is the one who has reached a state of "non-existence" and has deeply understood that whatever happens to him is either because God Wills it or because God Permits it.

29. True inner progress begins only when a person stops reading anything but the Gospel. It is only then that, united with God through the Jesus Prayer, he can hear God’s Will.

30. Never wish for anything but the Will of God and accept with love any trials that may come your way.

31. Never identify a person with the wrong way in which he is treating you, but see Christ in his heart.

32. Never ask: "Why has this happened to me" ‘When you see somebody suffering from gangrene or cancer or blindness, never say: "Why has this happened to him"’ Instead, pray God to grant you the vision of the other shore… Then, like the Angels, you will be able to see things as they really are: Everything in God’s plan. EVERYTHING.

33. A wise man said: If you are to live only for yourself, it would have been better if you had not been born.

36. A person’s most vulnerable spot is found in much talking and discussing.

37. To be meek is to wish never to have a guilty conscience.

38. When thoughts of passing judgement on another person cross your mind, pray God to take them away at once, so that you may love this person as He does. Then God will help you see your own faults. If Christ were visible, could you have such thoughts?

39. If you do not like somebody, think that you see Christ in that person. Then, you would not even dare utter a word of criticism.

40. We must love people and accept them in our hearts as God presents them to us. It has been thus ordained by the Lord Himself and by the Orthodox Tradition.

41. No one should become the servant of another man. We are only servants of God. ‘For ye are bought with a price’, says the Apostle (1Cor.6:20). Therefore, there should be no servility in human relations.

42. What we say remains in Eternity.

43. Only when you are perfected in Love can you reach the state of Dispassion (Apatheia).

44. Only those who act without true love face adversities.

45.The faculty of judgement (Krisis) comes naturally to man. Criticism (Katakrisis) and reproval spring from malice. Discernment (Diakrisis) is a gift from God and we should pray for it. It is essential to our protection and progress.

46. The life of the Church extends beyond moral discipline and religious duty. It is the transcendence of Morality to Spirituality.

47. An irresolute person does not participate in life.

48. When we must be helped, God will send someone to us. We are all fellow-travellers.

49. The voice of God is silence.

50. Whoever lives in the Past is like a dead man.Whoever lives in the Future in his imagination is naive, because the Future belongs to God. The Joy of Christ is found only in the Present, in the Eternal Present of God.